Online information sessions: 24 June

This programme is a two year, full-time professionally-accredited
postgraduate qualification in counselling. It is an accelerated version of
the well-established Master of Counselling (MCouns), which is offered
over four years part-time.

The programme is specifically designed for international students, with
significant professional experience in related fields, who are seeking to
gain a fully accredited professional qualification in counselling in the
United Kingdom.

Combining academic rigour with high quality professional training,
the programme provides unique opportunities for training, learning and
research in the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

The award of this degree allows graduates to practise as counsellors or therapists in the UK and in other countries with equivalent professional and academic standards.

The programme is founded in dialogue between the person-centred
approach and psychodynamic perspectives in counselling. It involves
substantial placement practice (internships) with counselling clients.

have a sound knowledge base of theories and research on the development of the person, group process, therapeutic relationships and processes, and the role of counselling in society

possess highly developed and transferable interpersonal, conceptual and analytical skills, including critical thinking, self-evaluation and research skills

The Master of Counselling allows students to gain employment in a variety of contexts where this unique combination of interpersonal, therapeutic, self-reflective and analytical skills is highly valued.

The Master of Counselling (Interpersonal Dialogue) enables graduates
to practise as counsellors or psychotherapists in the UK, and in other
countries with equivalent professional and academic standards.

Graduates can gain employment as counsellors and psychotherapists
working in the statutory, voluntary/non-government and private sectors,
or can use their counselling training to enhance their career in a related
profession such as health care, social work, nursing, or education.

Increasingly, employers are seeking masters qualifications from
applicants for management roles in counselling and psychotherapy,
and graduates will be well positioned for these opportunities.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a subject relevant to counselling and psychotherapy.

You should also have substantial relevant experience of working in helping roles in counselling or a cognate area, such as education, social work, nursing, mental health practice, applied psychology or equivalent.

We will also consider a UK 2:2 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a subject relevant to counselling and psychotherapy with references confirming your aptitude for study at postgraduate level.

If your undergraduate degree is not relevant to counselling and psychotherapy, you may be admitted at the discretion of the programme director as long as you meet the personal and professional suitability and relevant experience requirements laid down by the British professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy. Check the programme website for more information:

Entry is subject to passing a professional suitability interview. As this is a professional training programme, students are subject to the University’s Fitness to Practise policies and processes.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups

All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure
Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before
starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't
live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will
need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant
national authority.

International qualifications

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

For 2020 entry we accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)

TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements

PTE Academic: total 67 (at least 56 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)

CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)

Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

For 2021 entry we will accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each module)

TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 20 in each module). We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements

CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 169 in each module)

Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

*(Revised 21 February 2020 to remove PTE Academic from 2021 entry requirements. Revised 21 April 2020 to include TOEFL-iBT Special Home Edition in 2020 and 2021 entry requirements.)

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

Professional supervision

Students on the Master of Counselling (Interpersonal Dialogue) are required to undertake a minimum of 30 hours of professional supervision in relation to their placement practice. Students may need to pay for this supervision of their counselling practice.

Stage one of each round requires you to submit the online application by the deadlines shown below. Following submission, applicants who have met the required entry criteria for Stage one will be invited to proceed to Stage two and the relevant application documentation will be provided by email.

More information about the stage two application process, the application deadlines and interview dates can be found on the programme website.

Applicants who are selected following Stage one will be invited to proceed to Stage two. The relevant documentation for Stage two will be emailed to those applicants.

Stage two allows us to assess professional and personal suitability for the programme. You will be asked to provide a personal statement and a professional reference. Stage two also includes an interview which can be conducted in person, by telephone or webcam / Skype.

More information about the application process, the applications deadlines and interview dates can be found on the programme website.

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number
SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a
“Recognised body” which has been
granted degree awarding powers.